


Maybe...

by hotguyhawkeye



Series: Reader/Peter: Better Together [5]
Category: Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Female Friendship, Gen, Hopeful Ending, Pre-Relationship, Reader-Insert
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-25
Updated: 2017-07-25
Packaged: 2018-12-07 01:15:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11612883
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hotguyhawkeye/pseuds/hotguyhawkeye
Summary: Peter left you completely hanging on Saturday, and showed up at your house to apologize on Sunday, but you didn't exactly let him, and now it's Monday and you can't avoid him forever...





	Maybe...

**Author's Note:**

> Surprise, two updates in less than 24 hours because apparently I _can't_ stay away from this story!

The next day, you wake up completely dreading having to go to school. You’re not sure what you’re going to say to Peter, but you know that even if this is a thing he does a lot, it’s still not okay. So you’re still angry and hurt, and part of you is afraid you’re going to say the wrong thing and this small thing that might wear itself out will blossom into a massive fight, and you’re really not looking forward to the possibility that you might ruin the one good friendship you’ve had in ages and – _breathe,_ you tell yourself. With a shake of your head, you get up and get ready for school, telling yourself it’s just like any other day.

By the time second period rolls around, you’ve told yourself _everything is fine_ enough times that you maybe sort of believe it – at least, you believe it enough to not be nervous when Peter sits next to you with two minutes to spare before the bell is due to ring. You glance over at him as you continue to pull your notebook and textbook from your backpack, tossing a casual, “Hey, Peter.”

“H-hey,” Peter stammers back. “Listen, about Saturday –”

“What about it, Peter?” you cut in. “It’s not that complicated. Something came up that was obviously more important than you and Ned just letting me know we’d have to reschedule. It’s fine.”

Before Peter can respond, the bell rings, and you turn away from him, making a concentrated effort to focus only on the notes on the whiteboard. When class ends, you quickly pack your things and dart out of the door before Peter has a chance to catch up to you; you spot MJ a few feet ahead of you and speed up to fall in sync with her. When she slips her arm through yours casually, you grin and whisper “ _Thanks,_.” She just nudges you a little and you head to your next class arm-in-arm. After class, she tells you she’ll sit with you at lunch if you still want to try and avoid the guys, and you take her up on the offer, finding you’re still not quite ready to figure out whatever it is that’s going on between the three of you.

Lunch comes sooner than you’re prepared for, and true to her word, Michelle is waiting for you outside your classroom. Just like over the weekend, she starts talking before you have any real chance to start panicking about anything; turns out, Flash is in her fourth period, and he had shown up wearing dark tinted sunglasses in an attempt to hide the black eye he was sporting as a result of his antics at Cindy’s party. The teacher had made him take them off, and MJ for once actually found herself receiving a detention because she apparently couldn’t stop laughing at him.

She’s laughing as she tells you the story, and you find yourself cackling alongside her as you grab your lunches and head to an empty table. “Wait, wait, wait,” you say, breathless from your laughter. “He has a burst blood vessel in his eye? Like, his eyes are full ‘I’m the alpha now?’”

MJ loses it all over again, letting her head hit the table as she cackles. “Girl! Yes! That’s exactly what it’s like. Just friggin’ blood everywhere. I didn’t mean to laugh but man, you should have seen it. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Flash look so embarrassed.”

As you tuck into your food, you look up at her and grin. “Well, I guess I’ll have to come with you to detention today. Someone has to sketch you in _your_ time of distress, after all.”

She gives you a knowing look and says, “Yeah, and missing decathlon will just be a bonus, right?” When you stick out your tongue at her, she laughs. “You know I’m just messing with you. Hey, this time I can braid your hair. Though, full disclosure, I don’t actually know how to braid so…you might wind up with like, a mop of knots.”

You shrug and wave your hand, mouth too full to talk. After you swallow, you tell her, “Same thing happens all the time when my sister gets her hands on my hair. And anyway, I’m not exactly an artist, so there’s a good chance you’re going to look like a potato.”

You continue to eat, conversation ranging from complaining about class to laughing more about Flash – especially after you see him enter the cafeteria looking like he’s trying to be invisible. With about twenty minutes left in the lunch period, you’ve both cleared your trays and are just sitting side-by-side and people watching, like you’d done at Cindy’s party. Suddenly, Michelle stiffens and nudges your arm. “Don’t look now, but I think Parker’s finally got his head out of his ass and is going to come try to apologize.”

Naturally, you _do_ look, and realize immediately it was a mistake. Peter is headed straight for your table, and in your quick glance, you managed to lock eyes with him; though his face still holds much of the remorse you had seen yesterday when he was at your apartment, his eyes show you how determined he is that you can’t just run away from him this time. Like it or not, he’s going to talk to you, you realize. You turn back to MJ who just shrugs at you and says, “Maybe you should hear him out. I’ll go scare the shit out of Ned for a little while so you can have some privacy, but if you figure out where the hell it is those two disappear to all the time, I expect to hear it in detention later.” She’s standing as she speaks and manages to get half a table length away before you have a chance to try and stop her, and just as you prepare to swing your legs out from under the table, Peter plops down in front of you and grabs your hand.

“Wait, please,” he says, his voice full of emotion. “Please, can we just talk?” You struggle to tear your eyes away from where his hand is on yours, and when you finally do, you look up to see his are shining with unshed tears. “Please, just hear me out? And if you’re still mad at me after, or you hate me, or whatever, I’ll get it, okay? Just. Please let me try to fix this.”

You slide your hand away from his and fold it in your lap with your other hand, and nod curtly to him, willing your face to not betray your swirling mass of emotions. “Talk, then, Peter. Apparently I can’t stop you.”

Peter blinks a few times, and the shininess in his eyes goes away somewhat before he starts to talk. “I’m not going to try and give you any excuses because there aren’t any that are even close to good enough. I just need you to please, please, believe me when I say I didn’t mean to blow you off or hurt your feelings. I was really looking forward to our plans, but stuff came up that I couldn’t avoid, and I just…I messed up, okay? I messed up, and it probably won’t be the last time, if I’m being totally honest. But I never, ever want you to think I did it on purpose.”

You consider his words, and struggle to find your own. Are you glad he didn’t make excuses, or angry that he’s apologizing without telling you why he blew you off in the first place? You can’t decide, and you’re afraid to speak without figuring it out, but you also don’t want to leave him hanging. “Look, Peter,” you say, voice weary. “I don’t really know what you expect from me here. I told you about how hard it is for me to trust people and make friends, and how it was easier to make myself invisible than to let people in and have them let me down, and then you did exactly that. I’m not mad at you, I’m…I’m mad at myself. I knew better and I let you guys in anyway.”

Peter makes a small choking sound, and reaches his hand further across the table, like he can will you to put your hand in his. “No, no, please, you have to know that’s not what I meant to happen, I—”

“I believe you that it’s not what you meant, Peter, but it’s how I feel. Intentions don’t really matter once the damage is done.” You sigh, and relent, taking his hand in yours. “You and Ned are the best friends I’ve ever had, but for now I need you to let me be upset, okay? Just…give me time, please.”

Peter squeezes your hand so tight it borders on painful, and he takes a shaky breath. “Okay. Time. I can do that. I…just please, please try and come back to m—to _us_ soon. It’s been half a day and we already miss you so much.”

You squeeze his hand back before pulling yours away again. “I’ll try, Peter. Promise,” you add, hesitantly lifting your pinky finger toward him. He loops his pinky around yours with absolutely zero hesitation, and finally, smiles at you.

“See you around, then?” he asks, voice hopeful.

You smile back at him, and it only feels like a fraction of it is forced. “Yeah, Pete, I’ll see you around.” He walks away and MJ heads back toward you, a questioning look on her face. You shake your head, deciding you’ll fill her in after school, during detention. The lunch bell rings, and you grab your things, heading for your next class feeling better than you did when you woke in the morning, but still not quite back to how things were just three days ago. It’s definitely going to be something you’ll have to work through, but after actually hearing Peter out, you think that maybe, just maybe, it won’t end poorly.

After all, Peter _did_ slip for a second, nearly asking you to come back to _him_ soon…

**Author's Note:**

> So! Things are looking up for the reader! I'm going to try to lessen the angst soon, but I make no promises because apparently my brain thinks it's absolutely necessary. Sorry! Anyway, let me know your thoughts! You're all so fantastic, I'm so blessed to have such a good readership!


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